Electric bike theft has tripled in Switzerland since 2019, reported RTS. Recent police statistics show rising levels of theft across the country with rates rising most sharply in Basel and Geneva, two cities bordering on neighbouring countries. In 2022, 2,000 electric bikes were reported stolen, a figure double the number in 2021. Zurich, Switzerland’s largest […]
Top Swiss court rejects vote on free public transport
In December 2020, a group led by the youth branches of the Green and Socialist Parties in the canton of Fribourg launched a cantonal initiative to introduce free public transport. However, ahead of a cantonal vote the proposed wording had to be approved by the Federal Tribunal to ensure it was compatible with Switzerland’s constitution. […]
Swiss voting age of 16 rejected by commission
A federal voting age of 16 is unlikely to be introduced soon in Switzerland after a parliamentary commission charged with looking at the possibility rejected the idea this week, reported RTS. On 21 April 2023, the commission rejected the idea by 14 votes to 11 and recommended dropping the plan. After consulting with Switzerland’s cantons […]
Grandparents look after 28 percent of Swiss children
Data published this week by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office show that 28% of children aged 0 to 12 years old were looked after by their grandparents. Overall, 61% of children under 13 years old spend part of their time being looked after by someone other than their parents. 35% spend time in childcare, 28% with […]
Switzerland could burn more wood and biomass to meet sustainability goals
A report published this week by WSL, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research, calculates Switzerland could double the amount of energy it gets from burning biomass to 97 peta joules (PJ) a year, with 50 PJ coming from wood combustion. In 2019, Switzerland generated 41 PJ of energy burning wood. This […]
How Lausanne’s Ukraine Centre is helping Ukrainians help Ukrainians
Within a few weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine over 6,000 refugees had fled to Switzerland’s canton of Vaud. In response, three English speaking churches in Lausanne grouped together with other concerned local residents to set up the Ukraine Day Centre to help the refugees. “The canton was doing its utmost to provide vital […]
The quirky, neglected Swiss astronomer who designed a new way to look at “wicked” problems
By Peter Hulm Remembering a Glarus native who bubbled with new ideas his whole life. Deputy editor of Global Geneve Magazine Peter Hulm reports. Ninety years ago, on 16 February 1933, Fritz Zwicky posited the existence of dark matter. It then took three decades for cosmologists to accept his ideas (three years after his death), […]
Large differences in number of C-section births across Switzerland
In Switzerland, around a third of births are by caesarean section. However, this average hides a significant difference between French- and German-speaking Switzerland, reported RTS. In 2021, there were 86,800 births of which 28,500 were delivered by caesarean section (33%). Overall, Switzerland has one of the highest rates of caesarean section in Europe. In France […]
Switzerland’s first female minister dies
On 14 April 2023, the death of Elisabeth Kopp, the first woman appointed to the Federal Council, Switzerland’s cabinet, was announced. Elisabeth Kopp, died on Good Friday at the age of 86 after a long illness, reported SRF. The Zurich native was the first female member of the Federal Council after being elected on 2 […]
In 10 years 40% of Swiss workers will regularly work from home, predicts research
According to a report published this week, 40% of employees in Switzerland are predicted to regularly work from home within the next 10 years. In 2001, less than 1% of Switzerland’s employees did more than half of their work from home. By 2019, the same figure was 25%. Then Covid-19 struck. During the first lockdown […]
